§ 75. Sir CHARLES OMANasked the Postmaster-General whether he is continuing to supply Ireland with postage stamps which the Irish Provisional Government is now defacing by blocking out the head of His Majesty by an inscription in Erse, it being quite practicable to insert such a surcharge without defacing the central type of the stamp; and, if so, will he stop any further supply?
§ The POSTMASTER-GENERAL (Mr. Kellaway)I would refer the hon. Member to the answer given yesterday by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Colonies to the hon. Member for South Kensington.
§ Sir C. OMANIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that the Erse word, which is believed to mean "Provisional," and which is stamped across His Majesty's head is by a mistake in the dictionary a word which really means "preposterous"?
§ Mr. KELLAWAYI will not enter into a dispute with my hon. Friend on this point.
85. Colonel NEWMANasked the Postmaster-General whether he has come to any arrangement with the Postmaster-General of Dail Eireann that the provisional postage stamps as issued under the authority of Dail Eireann shall be the legal tender in Great Britain for the payment of small accounts and vice versa?
§ Mr. KELLAWAYThe overprinted stamps to which the hon. Member refers have been issued for the prepayment of postage on correspondence posted in Southern Ireland. Neither these stamps nor any other stamps are legal tender.